New Delhi, Feb 14: A Special Court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has sentenced two overground workers (OGWs) of the Pakistan Army-backed banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) to 15 years’ imprisonment for assisting a Pakistani terrorist who infiltrated Jammu and Kashmir in 2016 to carry out attacks.
The convicts, Zahoor Ahmed Peer and Nazir Ahmad Peer, residents of Handwara in Kupwara district, were found guilty of providing shelter, food and logistical support to the heavily armed terrorist and facilitating his movement and operations in the Valley.
The court sentenced both under Sections 18 and 19 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, along with nine years under Section 39 of the same Act. The sentences will run concurrently, with a maximum imprisonment of 15 years. Each has also been fined ₹50,000 under each section, totalling ₹1.5 lakh per accused.
The case pertains to a larger LeT conspiracy involving Pakistani national Bahadur Ali alias Saifullah, who infiltrated Kupwara in 2016 with other terrorists. The group, equipped with sophisticated arms, explosives and communication devices, was in constant contact with handlers in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, and had planned attacks in J&K and other parts of India, including Delhi.
Bahadur Ali was arrested on July 25, 2016, while two other infiltrators were killed in subsequent encounters. He was convicted in March 2021. The role of the two OGWs emerged during further investigation. (Agencies)
